Holiday EVENTS

Downtown in December, presented by Devon, is a series of holiday events and attractions in the heart of Oklahoma City starting Nov. 15. It’s a one-ofa-kind winter experience that features thrilling outdoor ice skating, snow tube rides down a 150-foot slope, afternoon visits with Santa Claus, a festive 5K run, free water taxi excursions, and a 2-day winter market, all surrounded by twinkling holiday lights. Most events are free of charge, and there is an open invitation for all to attend.

The Devon Ice Rink returns for its third season at the Myriad Botanical Gardens. Join us for another great winter of outdoor ice skating at Downtown in December's premier attraction. Open seven days a week, the Devon Ice Rink hosts daily public skating, private parties and special events all winter long. The rink provides friends and families with a unique annual tradition that creates memories to last a lifetime. RATES: › $10 per person for all ages, includes skates › $7 for guests who bring their own skates HOURS OF OPERATION: Nov. 15 to Feb. 2 › Monday-Thursday: 3-9 p.m. › Friday: 3-11 p.m. › Saturday: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. › Sunday: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

The Devon Ice Rink is in the Myriad Botanical Gardens at the corner of S. Robinson and W. Sheridan avenues. Private parties and gift certificates are available. Call (405) 708-6499 to schedule your event.

DEVON'S SATURDAYS WITH SANTA

Visit Devon Energy Center, 333 W. Sheridan, this holiday season during Devon’s Saturdays with Santa. The company, in partnership with Downtown in December, will offer free holiday entertainment from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Saturday beginning Nov. 30 through Dec. 21. Admission is free. Meet Santa and his crew, write letters to the North Pole, create your own holiday crafts and enjoy holiday musical entertainment. On one special Saturday, a few of Santa’s live reindeer will even join the fun. Bring your camera and take free photos with Santa every week. Food and drink will be available for purchase at Aravalli inside the Devon Rotunda.

Cruise down one of the country’s largest man-made snow-tubing slopes at Chesapeake Energy’s Snow Tubing at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. This snowy adventure is one of the most popular events during Downtown in December. “Over the field we go” will have new meaning as riders slide from the ballpark’s upper deck all the way down to the field on a hill of manmade snow – even in sunny weather! For those seeking less of an adrenaline rush, a second, smaller slide will have children and moderate thrill-seekers dashing through the snow. RATES: $10 for a 90-minute session. Purchase your tickets at the door or online at Ticketmaster.com HOURS OF OPERATION: › Sessions begin every 2 hours: noon, 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

› Open Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 23 through Dec. 15.

› Open daily Dec. 19 through Jan. 4. (Closed Christmas Day.)

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark ticket office at (405) 218-1000.

SANDRIDGE TREE LIGHTING FESTIVAL

Join
us at the SandRidge Tree Lighting Festival from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday,
Nov. 29. Guests will enjoy live music, food and fun as Mayor Mick
Cornett lights the tree for the season. Santa will be at the festival to
take free professional photos with the kids, which are printed on-site
immediately. Local band Banana Seat will provide live music for the
evening as guests snack on free popcorn. There will even be a face
painter for the kids! This event is free and open to the public. The
SandRidge Christmas Tree serves as the centerpiece for Downtown in
December. It will be on display on Mickey Mantle Drive, outside the
Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, until Jan. 1. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call
(405) 235-3500.

SANDRIDGE SANTA RUN

Jingle
all the way through the streets of downtown Oklahoma City in the
SandRidge Santa Run on Saturday, Dec. 14. As part of Downtown in
December, the SandRidge Santa Run includes a 5K race, a one-mile fun run
and a free kid’s dash, plus a warm-up with Rumble the Bison and the
Thunder Girls. All runs begin and end at Leadership Square, 211 N.
Robinson. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three male and female
finishers in the 5k. The top three male and female finishers in each
five-year age bracket will receive a medal. All runners are invited to
dress up in their most festive holiday costumes for the races.
Registered 5k runners who dress up in holiday costumes may qualify for
the costume contest. After the race, show off your costumes to the
SandRidge Santa Run panel of judges, and the top three picks will win
cash prizes. HOURS: › 9 a.m.: 5k run › 9:30 a.m.: 1-mile fun run › 10
a.m.: kids’ dash REGISTRATION FEES: › 5k: $35 › One-mile Fun Run: $20 ›
Kids’ Dash: free (Ages 8 and under. No registration required.)
Registration is now open, so sign up online today at
DowntownInDecember.com. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call (405) 235-3500.

AUTOMOBILE ALLEY'S LIGHTS ON BROADWAY

See
the historic buildings of Automobile Alley in a whole new light! More
than 180,000 colorful LED lights will drape the buildings along eight
blocks of N. Broadway, making for a magical holiday wonderland. It’s
free of charge and open to the public. LOCATION: N.W. 4th to N.W. 11th
streets on Broadway Ave HOURS OF OPERATION: Nov. 21-Jan. 1, dusk to
dawn.

ONEMAIN FINANCIAL'S BRICKTOWN CANAL LIGHTS

OneMain
Financial’s Bricktown Canal Lights will brighten your Bricktown
experience from Nov. 29 through Jan. 1. As you stroll the canal, enjoy
the dining and shopping along downtown OKC's premier entertainment
district under the gorgeous holiday lights. The display is free to the
public every night from dusk until dawn. Also, check out the free
Bricktown Water Taxi rides on select nights of the week throughout the
season.

FREE WATER TAXI RIDES

All
aboard for an adventure cruise on a Bricktown Water Taxi. On designated
evenings during December, all ages are welcome to enjoy a fun-filled
float down the beautifully adorned Bricktown canal free of charge,
courtesy of the Downtown Business Improvement District. Guests can board
the boats on Mickey Mantle Drive across from the Chickasaw Bricktown
Ballpark, just west of the third-base entrance. HOURS OF OPERATION:
Thursdays through Sundays, Nov. 29 - Dec. 29 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m. (Closed
Thanksgiving night.)

DELUXE WINTER MARKET

On
Saturday, Nov. 30 and Sunday, Dec. 1, the Deluxe Winter Market will
take place in the Chevy Bricktown Events Center. This event will offer
an opportunity for guests to do their holiday shopping at more than 40
vendor booths. Featuring only local and handmade goods, crafts, home
decor, art, food and other specialty items, the market will be sure to
have that perfect, unique gift. In addition to an abundance of holiday
shopping opportunities, the market will feature food trucks and music.

Keep
an eye out for Santa as he tours downtown OKC on his Segway and
delivers goodies for both kids and adults. You never know when Santa
might be just around the corner with special holiday giveaways and
treats, including Sonic, America’s Drive-In gift cards! Follow @
downtownokcinc on Twitter to learn when and where Santa will be cruising
around downtown.

Presented
by Dunlap Codding, A Vintage Christmas will feature 1950s-style holiday
décor along W. Sheridan Avenue in downtown’s historic Film Row
district. The decorations will be up all season long, but come visit on
Friday, Dec. 20 for the Premiere on Film Row event, featuring live
music, performances, food trucks, restaurant and retail specials,
gallery openings and more

LITTLE WILLIE'S TRIPLE DOG DARE

Back
for its second year, Little Willie's Triple Dog Dare is a stair climb
like no other! Scheduled for 8 a.m. on Dec. 7, this stair-climbing event
is open to all ages. It even includes a 'Puppy Dog' division for kids
under 16 (based on age at race day) and a firefighters’ division. DARE:
Climb Leadership Square North Tower’s 22 floors DOUBLE DOG DARE: Climb
Leadership Square North Tower’s 22 floors plus Oklahoma Tower’s 31
floors TRIPLE DOG DARE: Climb Leadership Square North Tower’s 22 floors,
Oklahoma Tower’s 31 floors plus Leadership Square South Tower’s 16
floors! NEW THIS YEAR: DO THE TRIPLE DOG DARE X2: Do the Triple Dog Dare
twice! Remember you have to come down each tower, too! This is a timed
event by DG Productions. Athletes will start in a “time trial” format
with climbers being sent every five seconds. Awards will be given to the
top three overall male and female participants, as well as age-group
divisions. LOCATION: Leadership Square, 211 N. Robinson For more
information: Visit LittleWilliesTripleDogDare.com

SANTA'S ADVENTURE ON THE OKLAHOMA RIVER

Add
some zip to this year’s holiday season Head down to the Boathouse
District to find all kinds of adventure, including the North Pole Climb,
SandRidge Santa Zip, Candy Cane Rock Wall and much more! There will
even be special appearances from the main man himself. Santa will be at
the Chesapeake Finish Line Tower on Saturdays 4-8 p.m. HOURS OF
OPERATION: › Opening Day: Friday, Nov. 29, 1-9 p.m. › Open on Saturdays
from 1-8 p.m. and Sundays from 1-5 p.m., Nov. 30 - Jan. 5 › Special New
Year's Hours: Dec. 30-31, 1-8 p.m.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call (405) 552-4040 or visit BoathouseDistrict.org

HOLIDAY POP-UP SHOPS AT MIDTOWN

Shop
’til you drop at more than 25 local, independent shops at 1000 N.
Walker, Thursdays through Sundays Nov. 29-Dec. 22. Each shop will be
hosted in a glowing geodesic dome nestled amid a Christmas Tree Lot
hosted by Bishop John Carroll School. The pop-up shops will be an
experience enjoyed by all ages and interests with new entertainment and
activities each weekend. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit OKCpopups.com

OKLAHOMA CITY BALLET'S THE NUTCRACKER

The
holidays are not complete without this beautiful production for the
whole family. Called "fresh and exciting, a true accomplishment" by The
Oklahoman in 2012, Oklahoma City Ballet's version of the holiday classic
stays true to the original libretto inspired by the E.T.A. Hoffman
story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King." The Nutcracker brings visions
of sugar plums, dancing snowflakes and a host of other fanciful
characters to the child in us all. Tchaikovsky's enduring score is
performed live at every performance by the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. Dec. 13-15 and Dec. 20-22 FOR TICKETS: Call (405) 848-8637 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, or visit okcballet.com

Downtown
In December invites holiday visitors and families to fill an afternoon
with culture, art and history. From noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8,
two downtown
museums will open their doors free of charge to the public. › The
Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum, 1400 Classen Dr. Enjoy a Wade
Christensen book signing at 1:30, a mixed-media craft project for kids,
giveaways and a special visit from Santa.

Ring
in the New Year at Opening Night — OKC's favorite family-oriented New
Year's Eve celebration. Opening Night takes place in nine venues in
downtown OKC, with 16 stages full of the state's best talent — beginning
at 7 p.m. Stake your claim in the Myriad Gardens by 11:30 p.m. to enjoy
the finale show and fireworks that will officially launch 2014! An
Opening Night wristband allows attendees into all the venues all night
long. Wristbands are $8 in advance or $10 at the event, with children 5
and under admitted free. Wristbands are available at 7-Eleven Stores of
Oklahoma, metro Homeland stores and Science Museum Oklahoma and are
available beginning Dec. 6 at MidFirst Bank locations. Opening Night is
produced by the Arts Council of Oklahoma City. FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Visit artscouncilokc.com/opening-night